Friday, February 3, 2012

#7 DUKE 75, VIRGINIA TECH 60 - Evidently, Coach K wasn’t pleased with his team’s seven point win over 10-12 St. John’s last weekend. This we he made changes to the starting lineup, endorsed a team ban on social media and took a to Blacksburg.

It looked to have paid off as the Blue Devils put together one of their more complete performances in their victory on Thursday night.

Austin Rivers led the Blue Devils with 18 points and added five assists and five rebounds, and the Blue Devils used a 13-2 burst late in the first half to open a double-digit lead they never relinquished.

Two hard practices before the trip to Cassell Coliseum helped Duke find its focus and maintain it throughout. Blue Devil Ryan Kelly said the move away from social media was a team decision, and coach Mike Krzyzewski said it’s a mature one that could pay dividends.

“They just decided that instead of a twitter family or whatever, it’s better to concentrate on our family,” he said. “It’s for the next couple of months and then they’ll have a lot to tweet about. Hopefully, they will.”

Krzyzewski made two changes to the starting lineup, removing Seth Curry and Kelly in favor of Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton—a move mostly inspired by defensive play.

All new moves aside, Kelly had seven points in the 13-2 spurt that helped the Blue Devils (19-3, 6-1 ACC) pull away. Rivers hit a 3-pointer and Kelly scored the last five in a 10-0 burst in the second half when Duke extended its lead to 62-40 with 11:19 remaining.

MASON PLUMLEE (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer)

Curry added 11 points and Mason Plumlee had 10 for Duke.

The loss was the seventh in eight games for Virginia Tech (12-10, 1-6) and left coach Seth Greenberg hoarse and disappointed, he said, with how his team handled adversity.

“We had some guys miss some shots and that affected their ability to do anything on the other end, and you can’t have that and beat a good team,” he said. “We did some good things, but when they kind of bowed their neck, I thought we melted.”

Five of the previous losses were by four points or fewer, but the Blue Devils left nothing to chance in avenging a 64-60 setback at Cassell Coliseum last February.

Erick Green led Virginia Tech with 17 points and Victory Davila tied his career high with 16.

Here, a man is gored by a bull during the annual Candlemas celebration in Tlacotalpan, Mexico.

Candlemas day in Europe was the folk lore forerunner to Ground Hog Day. Rather then checking the shadow of some rodent-like mammal, this celebration calls for bulls running through the streets as part of a week-long religious celebration.

In an article on ACC now, veteran Raleigh News & Observer sports reporter J.P. Giglio made some pointed observations about the tiny crowd (3,611) in Boston for the BC/N.C. State game earlier this week.

Here is a small excerpt:

"There are valid reasons for that (the small crowd), I'm not disputing that, just pointing out the reality. And please don't confuse this for nostalgia for "the good old days" of the ACC (although I do miss the round robin), it's just a fact.

Fan apathy, especially in the newer ACC markets (Miami's gym [4,611] was again on Wednesday for Maryland's visit) is one of the factors in the league's declining image and product.

Expansion happened, at some point I'll get over that, probably when someone from the ACC admits they killed their basketball brand in the process."

Media and pit crew crowd around the new Sahara Force India VJM05 Formula One car following their launch at the Silverstone circuit in Silverstone, England on February 3, 2012. (Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

This is the new Ferrari Formula One F2012 which was scheduled to be unveiled today...However, Ferrari has cancelled Friday's launch presentation of the 2012 Formula One car after their Maranello base and the surrounding area was hit by snow. (Photo by Ferrari Press/AFP Photo)

Cancer survivor, former Boston College Eagle and former ACC Defensive Player Of The Year Mark Herzlich of the New York Giants answers questions from the press during a media availability session for Super Bowl XLVI at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott on February 2, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

England cricket fans attend the first day of the third and final Test match between Pakistan and England at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City on February 3, 2012. (Photo by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi /AFP/Getty Images)

Australia’s Lucy Kather Chaffer heads for second place during the women’s World Cup Skeleton at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Andy Clark/Reuters)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Angelo Dundee, the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Muhammad Ali in his greatest fights and willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest bout, died Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. He was 90.

The genial Dundee was best known for being in Ali’s corner for almost his entire career, but those in boxing also knew him as an ambassador for boxing and a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it.

He died with his family surrounding him, said son, Jimmy Dundee, but not before being able to attend Ali’s 70th birthday bash in Louisville, Ky., last month.

Seems logical that if the NBC broadcast crew has a press conference then certainly the halftime entertainment is worthy of same...

Here, Madonna speaks at the podium during a press conference for the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at the Super Bowl XLVI Media Center in the J.W. Marriott Indianapolis on February 2, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Unfortunately, nobody had the balls to ask her what up with the fingerless gloves...Maybe she was going bowling or fly-fishing after the presser. Or maybe, she knits in her big giant walk-in refrigerator...?

#21 FLORIDA STATE 68, GEORGIA TECH 54 - The Noles bounced
back from a poor shooting performance in the first half and beat the Jackets at
the Donald L. Tucker Center to capture their school-record sixth consecutive
ACC game.

By extending their winning streak to six games, the Florida
State (15-7, 6-1 ACC) remain atop the league standings via tie-breakers. But
maintaining that first-place perch looked to be in doubt after 20 minutes of
basketball against the Yellow Jackets Yellow Jackets (8-14, 1-7).

Down 25-24 at the break, FSU's spark this time was a halftime
regrouping rather than the post-game kind. The Seminoles opened the second
period with back-to-back Xavier Gibson and Luke Loucks buckets and a Deividas
Dulkys 3-pointer.

Yesterday, we pointed out how wretched
the shooting was in North Carolina’s win over Wake Forest on Tuesday
night. Besides the simple fact that
numbers don’t lie, this Wake Forest pep band member proves yet again that every
picture is worth 1,000 words. (Photo by
Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/ZUMA)

Yes, this is exactly what you think it is…Brain Alano adjusts a pied in his Lego scaled replica of Lucas Oil Stadium which is on display at the Super Bowl XLVI media center in Indianapolis. Alano spent three years and used over 30,000 pieces to build the model. (Photo by David J. Phillip/AP)

Our MAIN man Casey Stoner of Repsol Honda I cuts a corner during the second day of Official MotoGP Test sessions held at Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia. (Photo by Hazrin Yeob Men Shah/Icon SMI)

Ruby Walsh riding Sanctuaire on their way to winning The Charlie Company 40 Commando Royal Marines Novices' Steeple Chase at Taunton racecourse on January 31, 2012 in Taunton, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Sometimes, it’s just hard to watch. (Photo by Robert
Willett/Raleigh News & Observer)

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

#5 NORTH CAROLINA 68, WAKE FOREST 53 - If you didn't watch
this game it looks like a typical lopsided Tar Heel win. If you did watch it, you know it was a
typical lopsided Tar Heel win in spite of the fact that Ol' Roy's guys couldn't
hit the broad side of a barn with a beach ball from point blank range. But then, Wake couldn’t shoot either.

Ugly.

How ugly? Well, check
out these numbers. UNC shot
34% in the first half and 27% in the second half after scoring just one basket
(1-13) in the first nine minutes of the second stanza. They shot 31% for the
game and 21% (4-19) from behind the arc.

The Deacons were no better shooting 29% for the game and a
woeful 11% (2-18) from behind the three-point line.

The most telling stat is that the two teams had a combined
95 rebounds. That’s not a misprint, that’s NINETY-FIVE. That’s a lot of missed shots.

That said, Tyler Zeller had 18 points (5 of 13) and a
career-best 18 rebounds and John Henson added 14 points (6 of 16) and 12
rebounds for the Tar Heels (19-3, 6-1 ACC) who won their fourth straight game.

Harrison Barnes added 13 points (4-12, there’s a theme here)
for the Tar Heels and played most of the second half despite rolling his left
ankle midway through the first half.

HARRIS (Andrew Shurtleff/AP Photo)

C.J. Harris scored 19 points (5-11, 1-6 3-Pts) to lead the
Demon Deacons (11-11, 2-6). Reggie Bullock did a good job defensively on Harris
who left the game after scoring his 1,000 career point.

So now, evidently, the network that televises the Super Bowl
has a presser so the press can ask questions to the press who's covering the
game…All this time, we thought the folks that broadcast the game were
describing the story, not part of the story…

This photo may explain why North Carolina shot so poorly in
last night’s game in Winston-Salem.
(Original photo by Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer, slightly
tampered with by T.A.H.)

Former Tar Heel Danny Green fights for a rebound with Sam Young of the Mephis Grizzzlies at FedEx Forum in Memphis. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images)

Top-ranked Kentucky extended their home win streak to 48-games in spite of these ridiculously ugly unis. Swin and a miss, UK. (Photo by Kentucky Basketball)

Fans of the New England Patriots hold up giant cartoon
cutouts with the liknesses of New England Patriots players including Tom Brady
(L) and Arron Hernandez (R) during Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLVI against
the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 31, 2012 in Indianapolis,
Indiana. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Duke’s Mason Plumlee has been named ACC Player of the Week
while teammate Austin Rivers was selected ACC Rookie of the Week.

Plumlee averaged 19.0 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists
per game in leading Duke to wins over Maryland and St. John’s. The Warsaw,
Ind., junior opened the week with a 23-point, 12-rebound and four-assist performance
in a 74-61 ACC road win at Maryland. He was 9-of-13 from the field and knocked
down all five free throws in the contest.

In Saturday’s 83-76 win over Big East
foe St. John’s, Plumlee recorded his ACC-leading ninth double-double of the
season with 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds. On the week, Plumlee shot
66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the field and 71.4 percent (10-fo-14) from the
foul line.

In earning the league’s rookie award for the second-straight
week and fifth time overall, Rivers averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0
assists in leading Duke to wins over Maryland and St. John’s. The Winter Park,
Fla., native had 10 points, a career-high five rebounds and three assists in 38
minutes of action in the road win over the Terrapins.

Against St. John’s,
Rivers finished with 12 points, three rebounds, one steal and a game-high five
assists. Rivers has now scored in double figures 17 times this season and
currently leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 14.1 points per game. He is
looking to join Johnny Dawkins (1983) and Bill Sapp (1945) as the only freshmen
to lead the team in scoring in a season.

Greensboro native and former Tar Heel Wes Miller is back at
home now as interim coach of UNC – Greensboro.Miller, who turned 29 last Saturday, started his career at James Madison
University where he played 17 minutes a game and scored 4.1 per.

He transferred to North Carolina and eventually played for
the National Championship of 2005 as a sophomore. He saw significant playing time the next year
– Tyler Hansbrough’s freshman year - -when he averaged 22 minutes and scored
7.2 points per game.

Miller played professionally for London Capitals of the
British Basketball League. He is currently the interim head coach at UNC Greensboro,
stepping in for former coach Mike Dement after he resigned on December 13,
2011. Previously, he was an assistant coach at Elon University under head
coach, Ernie Nester, for the 2008-2009 season and most recently, an assistant
coach under head coach, Scott Cherry, a former UNC player, for the 2009-2010
season.

Miller graduated in 2007 and wrote a book titled The Road to
Blue Heaven about his journey from JMU to UNC and his years playing there.

Recently, Miller’s UNCG team (6-6 since Miller took over,
but the winners of five straight conference games) defeated Appalachian State
in overtime. Happy Appy is also coached
by a former Tar Heel – Jason Capel.
Miller and Capel are two of the three youngest coaches in Division I
basketball. Capel is the youngest.

Capel was an assistant for former UNC player and now
UNC-Wilmington head coach Buzz Peterson at Appalachian prior to being named
head coach. Capel is only one of nine
players to ever start for UNC's basketball team in all four years of his
eligibility. He led the Tar Heels in scoring in his senior year with 15.6
points per game. He also played in the NCAA Final Four in 2000.

Capel was undrafted in 2002 and briefly made the Charlotte
Bobcats' roster, but he never played in an NBA game. He then turned down more
lucrative offers in Europe to play basketball in the NBA D-League for the
Fayetteville Patriots, a team coached by his father Jeff Capel II. After two
years in the D-League (2002–04) he played professionally in Japan, Italy and Serbia
until 2007.

From 2007 to 2008, Capel did color on Raycom Sports ACC
basketball broadcasts before joining the Appalachian coaching staff in 2009.

Bowlers knock down some pins during the Stars and Strikes Celebrity Bowling Tournament at Bowlmor Lanes in Tustin, CA. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register/ZUMA)

British canoe slalom athletes David Florence and Richard Hounslow in action during training at the Lee Valley White Water Centre on November 17, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots answers questions from the media during Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 31, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

A fan rides a zip line as part of the Super Bowl XLVI
festivities in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo
by Jim Young Reuters)

Tyler Zeller added 17 points for the Tar Heels (18-3, 5-1 ACC), who have won 12 of 13 games and extended their school-record home winning streak to 31 games. North Carolina shot 54 percent, led by 20 points at halftime and by 24 in the second half of a win that moved the Tar Heels into a tie with Duke and Florida State atop the ACC standings.

John Henson had 13 points and Reggie Bullock added 11 for the Tar Heels, while Kendall Marshall had 12 assists.

The outside shooting was the most obvious development for UNC. They hit 10 of 16 shots from behind the arc, their best total in a league game and one off a season high.

Barnes hit all three of his 3-point tries, while Bullock went 3-for-6 on the way to 11 points in his second straight start. Freshman P.J. Hairston added two more 3s against the Yellow Jackets (8-13, 1-6).MIAMI 76, BOSTON COLLEGE 54 – Malcolm Grant scored seven of
his 16 points during a game-breaking 14-0 run and Durand Scott had four of his
19, carrying Miami to a win over Boston College on Sunday.

Corey Graham #21 of the Chicago Bears reacts to Brandon Marshall #19 of the Miami Dolphins catching a loose ball in the endzone during the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on January 29, 2012 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Marshall caught four TD passes and was named the games MVP. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The national anthem is sung before the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against theNorth Carolina Tar Heels at the Dean Smith Center on January 29, 2012 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after his victory over Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men's final match on day 14 of the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament early on January 30, 2012. Djokovic won the championship 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 in the longest match ever played in a Grand Slam event...just under six hours. (Photo by William West/AFP/Topshots)

A competitor runs through water during the Tough Guy Challenge endurance race on January 29, 2012 in Telford, England. Every year thousands of people run the 8 mile assault course which involves freezing temperatures, fire and ice. (Photo by Alex Morton/Action Images)

As part of the Coaches v. Cancer weekend, the Tar Heels were rockin' the pink sneaks. (Photo by Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer)

Joe Harris and Sammy Zeglinski each added 12 for the Cavaliers (17-3, 4-2 ACC), who shot 60 percent in the first half to take the lead and then turned away a second-half rally for the road win.

Virginia led by 10 with about 6 1/2 minutes left before the Wolfpack (15-7, 4-3) pushed back. Scott Wood shook off a game's worth of shooting struggles to bury a 3-pointer off a loose rebound to cut the deficit to 61-60 with 46.3 seconds to go, then Zeglinski missed a step-back jumper with the shot clock winding down to give the ball back to the Wolfpack with a chance to win.

STOGLIN (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)

MARYLAND 73, VIRGINIA TECH 69 - Terrell Stoglin scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half, and Maryland never trailed in their victory over slumping Virginia Tech on Saturday.

Sean Mosley had 15 points for the Terrapins (13-7, 3-3 ACC), who snapped a three-game skid.

Maryland let a 15-point cushion dwindle to two with five seconds left, but Stoglin made two foul shots with 3.6 seconds remaining to secure the win.

It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Hokies (12-9, 1-5), who fell into a last-place tie with Georgia Tech. Erick Green led Virginia Tech with 18 points, and Dorenzo Hudson and Victor Davila each scored 14.

BROWNELL (Mark Crammer/AP Photo)

CLEMSON 71, WAKE FOREST 60 - Brad Brownell was not happy with the look in his team's eyes while they were warming up prior to Saturday's noon tipoff against Wake Forest. Something was missing, so he addressed the issue with his coaches before his team's entrance a few minutes before game time.

Brownell's fear came true once the game started as the Tigers missed 15 of their first 16 shots and the Demon Deacons built an early eight-point lead. But Brownell teams are known for leaning on their defense when things are not going well offensively, and thanks to a Devin Coleman steal and then a three-pointer from Andre Young, Clemson had its energy and never again let up in a 71-60 victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC, while Wake Forest fell to 2-5 in ACC play and 11-10 overall.

A Cameron Crazy establishes intellectual superiority once again with this eloquent description of a dunk during yesterday’s game against St. John. Sources tell T.A.H. he worked on this clever sign "all night." (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer)

Virginia's Sammy Zeglinski (13), left, celebrates as N.C. State's DeShawn Painter (0) shot is after the buzzer sounds at the end of the game. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

N.C. State students Haley Wells, left, and her sister Allison watch before N.C. State's game against Virginia Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik, standing, and the Wake coaching staff wear sneakers as part of a 'Coaches versus Cancer' game event during their NCAA college basketball game against Clemson on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Anderson Independent-Mail, Mark Crammer)

WHERE IN THE WORLD...?

The way it is...

The way it was...

TAH DAMN GOOD CAUSE OF THE MONTH

NORTHERN HAITI HOPE FOUNDATION: After our recent trip to Haiti, we vowed to do more to help. Clean water is a critical issue for all Haitians. It's particularly problematic for those in rural areas. For $2,000 to $5,000 we can build a new well in a rural village as part of a program facilitated by the St. Barthelemy School and the Warrenton, VA Rotary. Send your donation to Wells of Health and Hope, c/o GPetty-VTA, 38 Garrett Street, Warrenton, VA 20186 and keep your eye on T.A.H. for progress reports. Thanks! CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR MORE INFO.